Lewis was one of 19 American medallists named by Wade Exum, the former US Olympic Committee (USOC) director for drug control from 1991 to 2000, who released documents revealing more than 100 positive drug tests involving athletes from 1988 to 2000.

Included in the documents are details implicating athletes who won 19 Olympic medals from 1984 to 2000. But the IAAF said Wednesday there was no case to answer.

[Meanwhile, another living legend, Edwin Moses, said earlier in New Delhi Wednesday: “I was out of the country when the news (of Lewis testing positive) broke out. It is sad news but I am not really surprised.

[“I had always kept myself away from drugs during my career. I believe that athletes were more clean in those days,” Moses, who won the gold medal in the 1976 Montreal and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, said.]

The IAAF said it had reviewed the documents from 1988 which showed there had been eight positive findings at the US Olympic trials for ephedrine and ephedrine-related compounds in low concentration.

“The IAAF medical committee felt satisfied, however, on the basis of the information received that the cases had been properly concluded by the USOC as “negative cases” in accordance with rules and regulations in place at the time and no further action was taken.

“For this reason, the athletes concerned ... who went on to compete at the Olympic Games in Seoul were eligible to do so in accordance with IAAF rules.”

Lewis said last week the USOC at the time routinely let athletes off with a warning.